Yesterday was National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers

As an obstetrician-gynecologist I provide care for my patients during some of the most important and personal moments of their lives. I might go to the operating room in the morning to remove a mass from a patient’s ovary and that afternoon talk to a patient about the painful intercourse she is experiencing. The following day, I might be on Labor and Delivery and have the honor of being present when a patient delivers her baby. But the work I do that is most important to me is providing abortions.

It may seem strange that I consider this to be the most important part of my job. Out of everything that I do, abortion care is the part of my job that is most stigmatized. Being an abortion provider evokes judgment not only from strangers, but at times also from other doctors, and sometimes even from my own patients. On some days, the negative reactions to my work as an abortion provider can get the better of me and on those days it is nice to know that at least one day each year, I might receive public thanks for this work. That day is today, March 10: National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers.

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